Feminists try to prevent Cintia Chagas from speaking at an OAB event

Lawyers holding beer cans and drinking during the 4th National Women’s Conference promoted by the Federal Council of the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) tried to prevent a lecture by influencer Cintia Chagas held at the OAB-PR headquarters in Curitiba, last Friday (15).

The avowedly conservative Portuguese teacher, married to congressman Lucas Bove (PL), would give public speaking tips to those taking part in the event, but was surprised by women protesting there. “They represented around 10% of the audience and started shouting words like ‘fascist’, ‘machista’ and that I did not represent them”, reports the speaker who, instead of starting the previously planned speech, took a stand on the fact.

“There is a minority group in the background that preaches democracy,” he said when he got on stage and took the microphone. “However, this group is taking away the right of all of you to attend my lecture, so that the democracy evoked and the sorority are nothing more than pseudo-democracy and pseudo-sorority”, he continued, in reference to the term used to represent the idea of ​​brotherhood, empathy and companionship among women.

The teacher then remained silent while the other lawyers shouted “respect, respect”, and event organizers tried to calm the protesters. “Democracy is exactly that”, said the national president of the OAB, Beto Simonetti, who took the stage. “I guarantee all of you the right to protest, but I also guarantee all of you the right to attend the lecture that we are going to promote”, he added, to applause.

After about 20 minutes, the writer began the talk amidst shouting and claims that she managed to convey the planned content. “But everyone loses when there is no space for dialogue”, she points out, characterizing the protest carried out as “unproductive”.

“This ends up weakening the feminist movement that they defend so much because it tarnishes the image of the movement and the image of the left”, he highlights, highlighting that “the path of barbarism will never be the path to a solution”.

OAB sections take a stand

After the incident, some sections of the OAB took a position regarding the facts, citing the importance of freedom of expression. According to the OAB of Rondônia, for example, this is an “essential principle in a free and democratic society”, but it has been neglected in “episodes of interruption of events and demonstrations contrary to the free debate of ideas and diversity of thought” , he pointed out.

Also according to the section’s note, a Democratic State of Law must “guarantee everyone the right to express themselves and be heard, without any form of intimidation, coercion or censorship”, as “the plurality of ideas enriches public debate and is essential to strengthen democracy.”

The OAB of Santa Catarina also spoke out through the Women Lawyers and Combating Violence and Victims’ Rights committees. “Democracy brings with it the understanding that it is our right to speak and be heard, regardless of the political side or whether we agree with the person or not”, he stated, asking “that our maximum always be respect and empathy towards people. people”.

The OAB-PR, which hosted the conference, preferred not to comment and asked the reporter to contact the Federal Council of the OAB, responsible for the event. The team got in touch, but did not receive a response until the publication of this text. The space remains open.

What were the reasons for the demonstration?

In an interview with Gazeta do Povo, Cintia Chagas explained that the demonstration with cans and glasses of beer occurred due to posts she made on her social networks saying that she finds beer to be an “inappropriate” drink for women. In fact, “when I arrived to give the talk, I learned that there were rumors that beer could be thrown at me, and I had to go in accompanied by security guards and a member of the Fire Department”, she says, highlighting that no drink was thrown at her.

Another post that may have displeased the protesters, according to the teacher, was about “the house revolves around the man”. According to Cintia, the objective of the content was to encourage “families to get together”, which is often only possible after the husband arrives home.

“But what actually happened there is that the protest was not against me, but for political reasons”, he concludes.